Dial timing mechanism for circular knitting machines



y 193$ R. J. PAQUETTE 1 I 2,040,021

DIAL TIMING MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Oct. 9, 19355 Sheets-Sheet; 1

a .l. 24 T =1 /6 4 /7 k3 I l WW 292 T a- INVENTOR ROLAND J. PAQUETTE 7BY HIS ATTORNEYS May 5, 1936. R. J. PAQUETTE DIAL TIMING MECHANISM FORCIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Oct. 9, 1935 3 Sheets-$heet 2 INVENTORROLAND J. PAQUETTE BY HIS ATTORNEYS a 5, 1936. R. J. PAQUETTE 2,040,021

DIAL TIMING MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Filed Oct. 9, 19353 Sheets-Sheet 3 I NVENTOR ROLAND J. PAQUETTE v z Z Tail;

I '73 40 BY HIS ATTORNEYS Patented May 5, 1936 ilhiiTED STATES DIALTIMIN G MECHANISM FOR CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINES Roland J. Paquette,Woodstock, Ontario, Canada,

assignor to Scott New York, N. Y., setts & Willi m a corporation ofMassachu- Incorporated,

Application Octobcr 9, 1935, Serial No. 44,257

12 Claims.

This invention relates to revolving needle cylinder circular knittingmachines containing two series of knitting elements, 1. e., needles orneedle cooperating elements, and more particularly to the mechanism bywhich the secondelement such as the dial is kept in time, i. e., properalignment, with the needle cylinder.

In circular knitting machine-s adapted to make rib fabric or containinga. dial with other knitting in it, the dial is adapted to be swung pivo.ly upward out of operative position for repair, replacement of partsand observation. It is necessary that the knitting elements in the dialand cylinder be kept in accurate alignment with each other even when thedial is raised, in order that trouble may be avoided when the dial isswung down into operative position again and the machine is started. Oneof the objects of the invention is to produce a simple, durable andconvenient mechanism for insuring that the: dial is lwa s put back intooperative position with ients in proper mesh and alignment with iementsin the needle cylinder. It is char- .ie of a machine made in accordancewith tho -nvcntion that there is a connection between the dial andcylinder which keeps the two in accurate alignment when the dial israised to inoperative position, but this connection does not drive thedial when the machineis knitting. With 3'} construction the dial andcylinder are always in mesh by means of a flexible connection, but thedial can be disconnected readily in order to turn it by The inventionwill be shown embodied in the well-known Scott 8a Williams 1'- revolvingneedle cylinder type of machine such as shown in the patent to Robert W.Scott No. 1,282,938, dated October 29, 1918.

Referring now to the drawings, Fig. l is a front View, partly insection, of part ll of the head of a Scott & Williams revolving needlecylinder knitting machine, showing the dial-driving clutch engaged andthe dial in its operative position; a Fig. 2 is a View in elevation ofthe clutch and flexible connection, with the clutch parts disen- 3 is aninverted plan view, looking at the upper part of the clutch, taken onthe line 33 of Fig. 2; i a plan view of the lower part of the sameclutch, taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2;

. 5 a detail view on an enlarged scale sh ving the intermeshing of thetransfer bits, 55 cylinder needles and sinkers when the dial is in itsoperative position, the View being taken in radial section through theedge of the dial;

Fig. 6 is a View in elevation from the right side of the machine, partlybroken away, with the dial in its raised or inoperative position, thedotted position of the flexible member showing its position when thedial is disconnected from the cylinder;

Fig. '7 is a detail view of the flexible member of Figs. 1 and 6, brokenaway to show its construction;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 1, omitting the cylinder and dial butshowing a preferred embodiment;

Fig. 9 is a view in elevation similar to Fig. 8, showing the modifiedconstruction with the clutch disengaged;

Fig. 10 is a View in elevation of the right side of the modification ofFig. 8, showing sufiicient of the machine to illustrate the position ofthe parts of the novel mechanism when the dial is raised to itsinoperative position;

Fig, 11 is an inverted plan view showing the upper member of the clutchof Fig. 8, taken on the line Il-ll of Fig. 9;

Fig. 12 is a plan view taken on the line 12-12 of Fig. 9, similar toFig. 11 but showing the entire lower clutch element;

Fig. 13 is a detail view showing the male member of the clutch and themanner in which the flexible member is fastened thereto; while Fig. 14is an enlarged sectional view of the sleeve at the lower end of theflexible member and how it is attached to the flexible member, this.view being in section.

In revolving needle cylinder machines containing dials with knittingelements therein, care has to be taken to mesh the dial properly whenlowering the latch ring in order to avoid breaking or damaging thecylinder needles, dial needles or the transfer jacks. If at certainstages in the knitting the dial is out of register sufficiently to bringthe high or long butt needles on the wrong side, care is necessary toavoid breakage or damage to the cams or levers operating the dial parts.It has heretofore been known to keep the .dial and cylinder continuouslyconnected or in alignment,, e ven when the dial is raised to itsinoperative position, by means of two universal joints forming a. drive,such for instance as shown in the patent to Albert E. Page and HarrySwinglehurst, ,Jr., No. 1,906,204, dated April 25, 1933. In this casethe drive at all times is through the universal joint drive and itsjoints wear quickly. It has also been found that this universal joint 55This form of drive also is expensive, complicated and unwieldy. It is adevice which in itself has to be kept in alignment. It also has thedisadvantage that the dial must revolve while it is being raised to theinoperative position. This turning is apt to cause damage to the needlesand jacks when the dial is lifted during the time that the dial elementsare protruding between the needles, and further makes it necessary forthe operator to reposition more of the dialelements than is necessarymerely because of the pivotal mounting of the dial.

In the drawings I have illustrated, and in the specification I willdescribe, the invention embodied in a Scott & Williams machine whichuses transfer bits or jacks in the dial, but it should be understoodthat the invention is equally applicable to machines which have otherknitting elements in the dial. The invention is applicable to anycircular machine in which it is important to keep two series of knittingelements in alignment with each other while breaking the ear drive ofone of the two element-carrying members.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 7 will be describedfirst. The machine has the usual revolving needle cylinder 260 carriedby the bedplate B and driven from the main drive shaft (not shown) bythe usual gears 30, 3| (see Fig. 1). The usual latch needles N are movedvertically in slots on the outside of the needle cylinder 260 by thecams associated with the stationary cam ring 2'. The usual sinkers orweb holders 292 are supported on the upper end of the needle cylinder260 by the inside sinker ring or nosing 291 and the outside sinker ring295. These webholders are reciprocated radially in the usual manner bythe sinker cap 300. As shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6, the latch ring550 is supported from the customary latch ring bracket 4M mounted on thebedplate B. This pivotal point of the latch ring is at the rear of themachine, so that when the latch ring is swung up into inoperativeposition, it swings upward and backward. Mounted on the latch ring is adial-supporting bracket I4 (see Fig. 1). The dial D carrying thetransfer bits T is carried on a vertical spindle 3 supported in thisbracket I4.

The means for driving the dial D when the same is lowered into operativerelation with the needle cylinder and its knitting elements will now bedescribed. The members supported by the dial-carrying bracket l4 aremostly of known construction. Fastened on the dial-carrying spindle 3 isa horizontal bevel gear I 5 meshing with a pinion "5 carried on theradially central end of a horizontal dial-driving shaft IT. This shaftI1 is carried in two bearings forming part of the bracket l4 and has avertical bevel gear I8 mounted on its outer end. There is a gear casingor cover 24 carried by the bracket l4 covering these gears and alsohaving an additional function.

The power to drive the vertical bevel gear I8 is obtained from the maindrive shaft by means of bevel gear 64 and horizontal pinion 63 meshingtherewith, acting through the following novel elements. The pinion 63 ismounted on the lower end of a vertical spindle I 0 which is supported ina bearing bracket ll mounted on the bedplate B of the machine.Customarily the pinion or gear meshing with the vertical bevel gear 18would be mounted fixedly on the upper end of the spindle ID. in such astandard construction, when the latch ring and dial are swung in thepatent to Robert W. Scott No. 1,356,092,

dated October 19, 1920.

According to my invention, there is a pinion I9 carried by an extensionof the gear cover 24 which is always in mesh with the vertical bevel earl8 and is lifted up and down with the dial on the latch ring bracket.This pinion I 9 is carried by means of a yoke 50 mounted on the gearcover 24, taking into a groove 5| on the stub of the pinion l9. It isheld on the upper side by a washer and a. screw 52 (see Fig. 7). Betweenthis pinion I9 and the vertical spindle I0, I introduce a clutch. Onepart or member of this clutch is unitary with the pinion l9 andtherefore moves away from its mate when the dial is raised toinoperative position, while the other member of the clutch is formed onthe upper end of the spindle In. In the form of the invention shown inFigs. 1 to 7, it is a female member 28 which is formed out of the samepiece of metal as pinion l9 and it is the male member 21 which is formedon the upper end of the spindle II). In the particular embodiment shownin these figures, the female member 28 has two recesses with a fin orblade between and the male member has two blades to go into thoserecesses. As can be seen clearly in Fig. 2, the male member 21 ispreferably made with the ends of its blades tapered or bevelled at 29.The purpose'of these bevelled edges is to guide the parts into accuratealignment when the two parts of the clutch are brought together. Thus iffor any reason the female member should get slightly out of line withthe male member, the bevelled surfaces will bring it back into accurateregistry as the two parts engage. There is the usual latch and pindevice 53 attached on the gear cover 24, and the upper part of thebearing bracket II to insure that the latch ring bracket is notaccidentally displaced. The vertical spindle I0 is maintained at theproper elevation by a set screw 55 in a ring 54 fastened on the upperend of the spindle just below the clutch member 29 and resting on theupper end of the bearing bracket ll (see Figs. 1 and 2).

In combination with this novel clutch arrangement, I incorporate atiming connection between the needle cylinder and the dial which insuresthat the dial is always kept in correct alignment with the cylinderwhile the dial is in inoperative position, i. e., at all times when thetwo parts 21, 28 of the clutch are disengaged. This timing connection isa flexible one between the two parts 21, 28 of the clutch and is atelescopic construction which in effect keeps the gears in mesh. Thisconnection includes a flexible member or cable 40 with one end fastenedrigidly to one of the parts of the clutch and the other end having on ita key or slide 4| adapted to move through the other part of the clutchand thus provide the telescopic feature but not permit turning of thecable with relation to this second part of the clutch. In the drawingsit is the upper end of the cable 40 which is shown fixed rigidly in thepiece of metal constituting the female part 28 of the clutch and thepinion IS. The cable should be soldered or otherwise fixed tightly inthe clutch part 28.

As can be seen in Figs. 7 and 14 of the drawings, the cable consistsessentially of three layers of counter-wound wire 56, preferably woundon a core of a straight single wire 57. These counter-windings are eachtensioned properly so that it is practically impossible to twist thecable. The cable is flexible, in spite of the fact that it resists anyattempt to twist it. In Fig. 14 is shown the manner in which the lowerend of the cable is fastened in its slide or key 4|. This slide or key4| is preferably shaped in a square but can be made in any shape whichcannot be turned when placed in a complemental opening.

It will be observed from the drawingsthat I prefer to locate the cableaxially central of the driving spindle i! and the clutch members 21, 28and the pinion l9, and that the size of the cable is such that it liesbetween the two recesses 58 in the female part 28 of the clutch and isno greater in diameter than the fin between those two recesses 58. Theshape of the recesses can be seen in Fig. 3 on either side of thecentral pin. To make possible this telescopic feature, the drivingspindle IQ is hollowed out with a square central opening 59 throughoutits length, as can be seen in Figs. 1 and 6. It is just the size orshape of the slide 4| and permits movement of the latter without anysubstantial play. In the embodiment shown in the drawings, this recess59 does not extend quite to the bottom of the spindle 9, but this can beas short or as long as desired. In this connection, if desired, thelower end of the recess 59 in the spindle l0 can be made slightly largerso that the key 4| will have a certain amount of play as added insurancethat the cable and associated parts will not be under any strain untilthe dial starts to lift. As shown in Fig. 14, the lower end of the cable40 is soldered into the slide 4| so that the end is held rigidly in theslide, and since the slide cannot turn it follows that the cable cannotturn. Since the lower end of the cable is unable to turn, it followsthat it is impossible for the dial to get out of register or alignmentwith the cylinder while the clutch 21, 28 is disengaged. In this way itwill be noted that I haveprovided a flexible connection between the twoparts of the clutch which will keep the dial and cylinder and theirknitting elements in register whenever these parts of the clutch aredisengaged, and in this way the dial and cylinder can be said to bealways in mesh. It will be observed that by having a flexible connectionthere is no strain on associated parts, and further that when the twoparts of the clutch are in engagement, it is they and not the flexibleconnection which do the driving. In other words, this connection has thenovel feature of not being involved in any way in the drive of themachine when the gears are in mesh. There is no wear and tear on themechanism which keeps the dial and cylinder in alignment when theregular driving means are disconnected, and therefore no chance for themechanism to wear and eventually get out of alignment.

This mechanism has an added advantage in the fact that when the dial isbeing raised from operative to inoperative position, the dial is notbeing turned. Heretofore in all devices which maintain drivingconnection between the cylinder and dial while the dial is being raisedto inoperative position, the dial has had to turn while being raised.This is due to the fact that the regular driving gears are maintained inoperative relation. In my novel mechanism the gears do not turn but areheld without turning on their own axes while they are disengaged, sothat the dial does not turn while being raised.

It is sometimes desirable to turn the dial by hand while it is in itsraised position in order to make repairs or adjustments. This can beaccomplished very simply on my device without the use of any tools. Tothis end it will be noted that I have made the recess 59 in the drivingspindle IU of the same cross section extending through the male member2'! of the clutch (see Figs. 4 and 6). By these means it is perfectlysimple for the operator to pull the cable up and set the key end of thecable free as shown by the dotted line position in Fig. 6. It is thenpossible for the dial to be turned freely by hand as much as desired. Byhaving this key 4| square, it is obvious that if the dial is broughtback approximately into its proper registry in order to get the key 55back into the recess 53, the dial will be brought into proper register.If desired, this advantage of the shape of the key 4| can be furtherextended by making the key irregular in shape.

,I will now describe the preferred embodiment which is shown in Figs. 8to 13 of the drawings. In this embodiment the parts show greateradaptability to their uses and improved ability to take care of wear andtear. The members or parts of the clutch have been changed but thespindle ||l, bearing bracket H, the cable 40 and the key 4| remain thesame. Instead of using a collar 54 and set screw 55 to hold the spindleID to the proper elevation to provide accurate meshing of the parts ofthe clutch, the upper end of the spindle is enlarged to provide its ownresting shoulder, as shown at 66 in Fig. 10. In the case of theembodiment shown in Figs. 8 to 13, the male member is the upper portionof the clutch and is carried with the dial. It is designated by thereference character H and is carried on a shaft 14 on which the pinion12, which meshes with the bevel gear I8, is carried. The upper end ofthe cable 40 is set in the lower end of this shaft 14. The male memberconsists of a sleeve or shell having two downwardly projecting ears 13which lie partly below the lower end of the shaft 14, the sleeve beingheld on the lower end of the shaft by a set screw, as shown in Fig. 13.The female member 68 of the clutch is formed out of the upper end of thehollow spindle l0 and has a shoulder 66 overlying the upper end of thebracket The upper face of the female member 68 has two grooves 69 in itradiating from the center and adapted to receive the downwardlydepending ears 13 of the male member 7 The lower end 99 of the shaft 14projects slightly below the shell carrying the ears I3 and sits in arecess 69a in the female member. This insures the two parts of theclutch being lined up properly. The ears 13 are. spaced apart such adistance that their outer edges correspond to the outer edges of the.female member. The semi-circular stubs 61 which define the grooves 69 ofthe female member 68 extend radially outward as far as the shoulder 65.The pinion 12 of the male member H can be supported by an arm 18depending from the gear cover 24. The shaft 14 extends above the pinion12 and is supported at that point by a yoke 19 in somewhat the samemanner as in the previous embodiment. To insure that the pinion 12 andmale member ll of the clutch are properly centered over the spindle Hi,a pointed set screw is mounted point upward on the upper end of thebearing bracket I I just to one side of the female member 68 of theclutch. This pointed set screw is adjusted to take into the complementalrecess 96 in the lower face of the arm 18 of the gear cover 24-. Thissupplements the latch and pin 53 found in the previous embodiment.

If, by any chance, in the course of time a slight amount of torsiondevelops in the cable 40, which would be too great to be taken care ofby the bevel surfaces 29 of the embodiment of Figs. 1 to 8, longerbevels are provided in the embodiment of Figs. 9 to 13. This featuretakes the form of a bevelled shield 91 located on the circumference ofthe female member 68 and projecting upwardly above the ears 6'! (seeFigs. 8, 9 and 12). This plate is bevelled at a corner leading to one ofthe slots 61. On the periphery of the male member H at a point directlyopposite the ear 13 which should register in the groove 89 adjacent theshield 91, is a set screw 98 projecting into the path of the bevellededge of the shield 91. As the two members of the clutch start to cometogether, if there is a slight torsion in the cable, or for any otherreason the parts are not in accurate alignment, the set screw willoverlie the shield as shown in Fig. 9. This set screw 98 will ride downthe bevelled edge of the shield 91 and will thus bring its ear 13 intothe grooves 69 intended for it, as shown in Fig. 8. l

It will be obviousv that the new functions attained by my invention arereached with the minimum number of parts and with a simplicity andeconomy which recommend themselves to the practical man. It will beobvious that with my mechanism the transfer bits T or the needles in thedial will always be kept in proper register with the cylinder needles N,no matter in what position the dial may be put and whether or not. themachine turns in either direction while the dial is up. It is adistinctive feature that the clutch and the mechanism which controls theposition of the dial when raised are alternate drives each idle whilethe other works, and therefore not subject to wear and tear, when themachine is actually knitting.

Many modifications which do not depart from the scope of 'the inventionwill occur tothose skilled in the art. Thus'the connection between thecable 40 and the upper part of the clutch can be telescopic in place ofthat at the lower part or in addition to that at the lower part. Thecable 40 need not necessarily pass through the axis of revolution of theclutch parts but can be beside them as long as they are geared to thetwo parts of the drive.

What I claim is:

1. In a circular knitting machine, two series of knitting elements, arevolving cylinder containing one of said series and a dial containingthe other and adapted to be moved into and out of operative relationwith the cylinder, in combination with means adapted to drive the dialwhen the latter is in its operative position only, and a connectionbetween the dial and its driving means operative when the .dial is movedfrom operativev position to keep the latter in time with the cylinder. 7

to drive said dial in timed operative relation with the cylinder, and aflexible torsion-resisting connection for said dial operative upondisengagement of said clutch to keep the dial in time with the.cylinder.

3. In a circular knitting machine, two series of knitting elements, arevolving cylinder containing one of said series and a dial containingthe other and adapted to be moved into and out of operative relationwith the cylinder, in combination with a gear train driving said dialand cylinder in timed relation, including a clutch adapted to bedisconnected when thedial moves out of operative relation with thecylinder and a flexible torsionresisting connection adapted to keep thedial and cylinder knitting elements in proper timed relation when thegear train is disconnected.

4. In a circular knitting machine, two series of cooperating knittingelements, a revolving cylinder containing one of said series and a dialcontaining' the other and adapted to be swung into and out of operativerelation with the cylinder, in combination with a clutch adapted todrive said dial and a flexible connection between the two parts of saidclutch adapted to keep the dial in time with the cylinder when theclutch is disengaged.

5. In a circular knitting machine, a revolving cylinder, a circle ofneedles therein, a pivotally mounted dial adapted to be swung into andout of operative relation with the cylinder, and needlecooperatingelements in said dial, in combination with a clutch adaptedto drive said dial, and a telescopic connection including a flexiblemember between the two parts of said clutch adapted to keep the dial intime with the cylinder when the clutch is disengaged.

6. In a circular knitting machine, a revolving cylinder, a circle ofneedles therein, a pivotally mounted dial adapted to be swung into andout of operative relation with the cylinder and needle cooperatingelements in said dial, in combination with a flexible connection betweenthe two parts of said clutch, including a flexible member held at oneend to turn in time with the needle cylinder and at the other end intime with the dial, said flexible member having substantially notorsion, said connection being adapted to keep the dial in time with thecylinder when the clutch is disengaged.

7. In a circular knitting machine, a revolving cylinder, a circle ofneedles therein, a pivotally mounted dial adapted to be swung into andout of operative relation with the cylinder, and needle cooperatingelements in said dial, in combination with a clutch adapted to drivesaid dial, and a flexible connection between the two parts of saidclutch, including a flexible member adapted to telescope through onepart of said clutch, held at one end to turn with the needle cylinderand at the other end with the dial, said flexible member havingsubstantially no torsion, said connection being adapted to keep the dialin time with the cylinder when the clutch is disengaged.

8. In a circular knitting machine, two series of cooperating knittingelements, a revolving cylinder containing one series and a dialcontaining the other and adapted to be swung into and out of operativerelation with the cylinder, in combination with a clutch adapted todrive said dial, the parts of said clutch including a bevelled surfaceadapted to guide the parts into axial alignment when the parts arecoming into engagement, and a flexible connection between the two partsof said clutch adapted to keep the dial in time with the cylinder whenthe clutch is disengaged.

9. In a circular knitting machine, two series of knitting elements, arevolving cylinder containing one series and a dial containing the otherand adapted to be moved into and out of operative relation with thecylinder, a clutch adapted to drive said dial and to be disengaged whensaid dial moves out of operative relation with the cylinder, incombination with a flexible torsion-resisting connection between theparts of said clutch having a telescopic connection at one end, saidtelescopic connection fitting into a complemental recess preventingrotation of the end of said flexible member in the recess.

10. In a circular knitting machine, a revolving needle cylinder, acircle of needles therein, a pivotally mounted dial adapted to be swunginto and out of operative relation with the cylinder, and needlecooperating elements in said dial, in combination with a clutch adaptedto drive said dial and to become disengaged when the dial swings out ofoperative relation with the cylinder, and a flexible telescopicconnection between the two parts of said clutch adapted to keep the dialin time with the cylinder when the clutch is disengaged, the parts ofsaid clutch including a beveled surface and a projection adapted toguide the parts into accurate alignment when they are coming together.

11. In a circular knitting machine, two series of knitting elements, arevolving cylinder containing one of said series and a dial containingthe other and adapted to be moved into and out of operative relationwith the cylinder, in combination with a gear train driving said dialand cylinder in timed relation, including a clutch adapted to bedisconnected when the dial moves out of operative relation with thecylinder and a flexible torsion-resisting connection adapted to keep thedial from turning except with the cylinder while disconnected from thegear train.

12. In a circular knitting machine, two series of knitting elements, arevolving cylinder containing one of said series and a dial containingthe other and adapted to be moved into and out of operative relationwith the cylinder, in combination with two complemental driving meanskeeping the dial and cylinder in proper timed relation, one meansincluding a clutch adapted to drive when the dial is in its operativeposition, and the other means including a flexible torsionresistingmember and effective when the dial is not in its operative position.

ROLAND J. PAQUETTE.

